Drug info - Ethylene gas

[Desertfox]

Using the search engine i have found no infromation on this forum about this psuchoactive gas that the greeks inhaled through cracks in the ground and had religious experiences and went into fits of a tranced state. with a search on google it is revealed that it is easily avialable(i hope this isn't breaking any source rules).I am interested if anyone has any experience with this drug or like me as a strong interest in "researching" it

Reputation Comments on this post:

Well informed questions are good.

[fnord]

isnt that what alegadly gave the oracle of delphi her visions?

[robin_himself]

Ethylene is is colorless, has a pleasant sweet faint odor, and has a slightly sweet taste, and as it enhances fruit ripening, assists in the development of odour-active aroma volatiles (especially esters), which are responsible for the specific smell of each kind of flower or fruit. In high concentrations it can cause nausea. Its use in the food industry to induce ripening of fruit and vegetables, can lead to accumulation in refrigerator crispers, accelerating spoilage of these foods when compared with naturally ripened products.

Ethylene has long been in use as an inhalatory anaesthetic. It shows little or no carcinogenic or mutagenic properties, and although there may be moderate hyperglycemia, post operative nausea, whilst higher than nitrous oxide is less than in the use of cyclopropane. During the induction and early phases, blood pressure may rise a little, but this effect may be due to patient anxiety, as blood pressure quickly returns to normal. Cardiac arrythmias are infrequent and cardio-vascular effects are benign. Exposure at 37.5% for 15 minutes may result in marked memory disturbances. Humans exposed to as much as 50% ethylene in air, whereby the oxygen availability is decreased to 10%, experience a complete loss of consciousness and may subsequently die. Effects of exposure seem related to the issue of oxygen deprivation.

In mild doses, ethylene produces states of euphoria, associated with stimulus to the pleasure centres of the human brain. It has been hypothesised that human liking for the odours of flowers is due in part to a mild action of ethylene associated with the plant.

STAGE 1) INDIFFERENCE

Percent of O2 Saturation at 90%
Night vision decreased
Mild euphoria reported.
STAGE 2) COMPENSATION

Percent of O2 Saturation at 82 to 90%
Respiratory rate has compensatory increase
Pulse, also a compensatory increase
Night vision is decreased further, focus is simplified
Performance ability is somewhat reduced, mild distortion to speach, utterances increasingly ambiguous.
General Alertness level is somewhat reduced to anything but central concerns
Symptoms may begin in those patients with pre-existing significant cardiac, pulmonary, or hematologic diseases.
Euphoria
STAGE 3) DISTURBANCE

Percent of O2 Saturation at 64 to 82%
Compensatory mechanisms increasingly become inadequate
Air hunger, gasping for breath
Fatigue, lassitude, inability to maintain balance
Tunnel Vision, out-of-body experiences
Dizziness
Mild to Persistent Headache
Belligerence, certainty of truth
Extreme Euphoria, belief in capacities of the self enhanced
Visual acuity is reduced, dreamlike seeing of visions
Numbness and tingling of extremities
Hyperventilation
Distortions of judgement, abnormal or illogical inferences drawn
Memory loss after event
Increased Cyanosis
Decreased ability for escape from toxic environment
STAGE 4) CRITICAL DISTURBANCE

Percent of O2 Saturation at 60 to 70% or less
Further deterioration in judgement and coordination may occur in 3 to 5 minutes or less
Total incapacitation and unconsciousness follow rapidly
In air, ethylene acts primarily as an asphyxiant. Concentrations of ethylene required to produce any marked physiological effect will reduce the oxygen content to such a low level that life cannot be supported. For example, air containing 50% of ethylene will contain only about 10% oxygen.

Loss of consciousness results when the air contains about 11% of oxygen. Death occurs quickly when the oxygen content falls to 8% or less. There is no evidence to indicate that prolonged exposure to low concentrations of ethylene can result in chronic effects. Prolonged exposure to high concentrations may cause permanent effects because of oxygen deprivation.

Ethylene has a very low order of systemic toxicity. When used as a surgical anaesthetic, it is always administered with oxygen with an increased risk of fire. In such cases, however, it acts as a simple, rapid anaesthetic having a quick recovery. Prolonged inhalation of about 85% in oxygen is slightly toxic, resulting in a slow fall in the blood pressure; at about 94% in oxygen, ethylene is acutely fatal.

Reputation Comments on this post:

Good reply to a Delphic question.

[Sylvania]

so has anybody ever actually tried the stuff? I for oen have no idea how to go about it safely.

[Nicaine]

From reading this thread anyway, the LAST thing anyone should do is inhale from a balloon... sounds very dangerous with this stuff. Seems like the only really safe way is metered w/oxygen from a tank, the way it's given surgically. Probably with a sitter too, in case unconsciousness occurred.

[Isochrist]

Now, it must be said that I neither advocate nor suggest anything that I may type in this message, this is merely theoritical.

Seeing as how most people would not have the equipment to meter it with a given percentage of oxygen, perhaps the ol' rag and a small splash, (ie. ether) would be suitable?

[Sylvania]

Originally Posted by Isochrist

Now, it must be said that I neither advocate nor suggest anything that I may type in this message, this is merely theoritical.

Seeing as how most people would not have the equipment to meter it with a given percentage of oxygen, perhaps the ol' rag and a small splash, (ie. ether) would be suitable?

That's what I was thinking, although I'm not sure the effects would be the same if it wasn't in it gaseous state. Only experimentation could tell and that could be dangerous (have to get somebody else to do it p)

[Smuv]

Isochrist, ethylene is a gas, under standard conditions, swishing it onto a rag is not an option.

It is important to remember that even nitrous oxide should be delivered with an oxygen supply. But there is a big difference between a recreational and anesthetic dose. Although nitrous can turn some peoples lips blue from oxygen deprivation....

Just to add, Acetylene Is also a non-carcinogenic anesthetic gas (that I beleive saw more medical use than ethylene). But don't go sniffing an acetylene tank because, acetylene is a hard gas to purify (contaminated with phosphine which is nasty stuff).

P.S. that last part may seem off topic until one realises how closley related the structures of ethylene and acetylene are.

[Isochrist]

Originally Posted by Smuv

Isochrist, ethylene is a gas, under standard conditions, swishing it onto a rag is not an option.

How the hell did SWIM overlook that?

That's it, no more drunken posting.

[snapper]

Actually, not only does ethylene ripen fruit, but ripe fruit emits ethylene, ripening the fruit around it. That is why fruit ripens more quickly when enclosed in a bag.
So, all you need to do is get a pile of ripe fruit and put it in a chamber, then let the ethylene collect, and then inhale the air from the chamber. This could be made portable. Say a water cooler bottle full of very ripe apples. Just bring it with you to the next get together and everyone can take turns.
Seriously, the problem with ethylene is the same as that with nitrous - the gas occupies a significant amount of space normally occupied by oxygen. When N2O is delivered for anethesia, it is done so in a precise ratio with 100% oxygen given in tandem. The N2O replaces the nitrogen normally found in about 80% of room air, and can take oxygen concentration down to dangerously low levels. If you have some oxygen tanks, ethylene could probably be used safely...
That said, probably not worth the effort.
Very interesting thread though... thanks for the info. It might be possible to use it. Next time SWIM has some ripe fruit in a sealed plastic bag, SWIM will try huffing it and report back...

[Smuv]

I wouldnt bother.... There will be so little ethylene produced.

Ehylene and ether can both be produced from sulfuric acid and ethanol (so drain cleaner and alcohol). It seems like production from ethanol would be a much more viable method.

I have produced ethylene gas, to do a home experiment rippening a banana. Production of small amounts isnt hard...even enough for a couple sniffs probably wouldnt be difficult (but I really wasnt sniffing it). The problem though...if you want a "pure" ethylene experience from this product is that it will be contaminated (Which might not be bad) with ether. It would take some (albeit simple) purification to get strait ethylene.

Also very impure ethylene can be made by snipping a milk jug into little peices and heating the plastic past its melting point. The plastic will pyrolize (basically break up into smaller peices). Since milk cartons are made of polyEthylene which is basically a bunch of ethylene molecules bonded to eachother forming a chain, the main product will be ethylene.

I orginally wanted to use this method to ripen the bannana. My experiments, yeilded some smokey gas that wasnt even flamable, so I ditched that. In theory though, it could be made to work (maybe I was overheating the polyethylene).

[Pino]

Does HCL work too as acid? Or are there more dangers using HCL? Swim is not a chemist, but he couldn't figure it out why not.

Swim probably nows the answer: no. Because otherwise he would stink after ripe banana, when he drinks.